Meta

Month: November 2013

Lower back pain is something we can all imagine, but what does it mean if your plantar is fasciating (no, that’s not actually a word)?! Today we’re going to talk about plantar fasciitis, a common injury you have likely heard about in passing. Now you’ll be able to do more than just steer the conversation towards the weather.

There’s a band of connective tissue running along the sole of your foot, known as the plantar fascia.

Normally it just chills out supporting the arch of your foot, but if it gets stretched too far it can tear, causing inflammation. That inflammation leads to pain, and is referred to as plantar fasciitis.

What causes plantar fasciitis? Good question. Sometimes physiological things like flat feet or high arches, if left to their own devices, can cause it to arise. Or a sudden change in how your feet need to support you, such as an increase in activity or increased weight gain might bring it on. It’s a common injury in runners, especially after increasing training volume or switching from running on a soft surface to a harder one.

The pain is typically felt on the bottom of the foot, close to the heel. It might fade and reoccur in an unpredictable pattern, or disappear completely only to return after a single workout. So you’ve got some tenderness on your heel, how do you know if you’ve got plantar fasciitis? Ask yourself the following questions:

Does it hurt especially when you wake up in the morning?

Does the pain go into the rest of your heel or the arch of your foot?

Do you notice the pain when you’ve stood up after sitting/lying down for a long time?

Does the pain occur after/during activity?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you may very well have plantar fasciitis. Icing the site of inflammation, adding more rest into your daily routine or substituting your normal exercise with non-weight bearing activity (such as swimming) are all options to help reduce your pain. While some cases will be helped greatly just by stretching tight leg mucles, while others may need custom orthotics. So feel free to give us a call, and any of our physiotherapists can help diagnose the cause of your specific pain. Then we can recommend the course of action that you need to get moving again, pain free.